NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.

: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

CHARACTERISTICS OF A LIVING ORGANISM

EXERCISE 2

In its broadest sense, biology is the study of living things—the science of life. Living
things come in an astounding variety of shapes and forms, and biologists study life in many
different ways. As life is highly organized—from small and simple to large and complex, within
cells, within multicellular organisms, and among organisms, all living things share certain key
characteristics: order, sensitivity, growth, development and reproduction, regulation, and
homeostasis.

Objectives:

At the end of this laboratory exercise, students will be able to:

 Identify and describe the properties of life

 Describe the levels of organization among living things

PROBLEM SET 1 - CONTAIN ONE OR MORE CELLS

Scientists know that all living things are organized. The smallest unit of organization of a
living thing is the cell. A cell is a collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier known as the
plasma membrane that separates it from its surroundings. Cells can perform all the functions we
associate with life.
Cells are organized and contain specialized parts that perform particular functions. Cells
are very different from each other. A single cell by itself can form an entire living organism.
Organisms consisting of only a single cell are called unicellular. A bacterium or a protist like
amoebas and paramecia are unicellular. However, most of the organisms you are familiar with,
such as dogs and trees, are multicellular. Multicellular organisms contain hundreds, thousands,
even trillions of cells or more. Multicellular organisms may have their cells organized into
tissues, organs, and systems. Whether it is unicellular or multicellular, all structures and
functions of an organism come together to form an orderly living system.

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 1

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

Functional cells are not found in nonliving matter. Structures that contain dead cells or
pieces of cells are considered dead. For example, wood or cork cut from a tree is made up
largely of cell walls. The cells are no longer functional.

1. All living things are _________ .

 Composed and made up of cells.
 It is the smallest unit that can live on its own and that makes up all living organisms and the
tissues in the body.

2. What is the simplest level at which life may exist?

 A cell
 In terms of levels of biological organization, the cell is the lowest level at which life exists.

3. Are all cells alike?

No, they are different to each other.

4. All cells perform various jobs or .

Function

5. What surrounds a cell and separates it from its environment?

The plasma membrane, also known as the cell membrane, is found in every cell and
serves to separate the cells’ inside from the outside environment.

6. What is the difference between unicellular and multicellular organisms?

Unicellular is an organisms consisting of only a single cell. While multicellular organisms
contain hundreds, thousands, even trillions of cells or more.

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 2

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

7. Give an example of a multicellular organism and an example of a unicellular organism.

Example of multicellular is bacteria and the example of unicellular is a single cell.

8. Multicellular organisms can be organized into what other levels?

Tissues, organs and system

PROBLEM SET 2 - REPRODUCTION

Perhaps the most obvious of all the characteristics of life is reproduction, the production
of offspring. Organisms don’t live forever. For life to continue, organisms must replace
themselves. Reproduction is not essential for the survival of an individual organism. However, it
is essential for the continuation of an organism’s species. A species is a group of similar-looking
organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. If individuals in a species never
reproduced, it would mean an end to that species’ existence on Earth.

1. Define reproduction.
The ability of the organism produces offspring of the same kind.

2. Must EVERY member of a particular species (one kind of organism) be able to

reproduce in order for the species to survive? Explain why or why not.
In order for a species to thrive, not every member of that species must be able to
reproduce. Take dogs as an example: if one breed goes extinct, not all will.

3. What would happen if all individuals in a species were sterile (not able to have babies)?
The individuals in a species would become extinct.

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 3

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

4. Reproduction is NOT essential for the survival of an individual but is essential for the
survival of the _________.
Species

5. What is meant by extinction?

The animals or species is gone forever.

There are two basic kinds of reproduction: sexual and asexual. Sexual reproduction requires
that two cells (sperm and egg) unite to produce the first cell of the new organism. Organisms
reproducing sexually do not always have to mate. In many cases sperm and egg are released
into the water where they meet. Most familiar organisms – from maple trees to birds and bees –
reproduce sexually. In asexual reproduction, a single organism can reproduce without the aid of
another. Sometimes these organisms can just divide themselves in two.

1. Name and define the two basic kinds of reproduction.

 Sexual reproduction requires that two cells (sperm and egg) unite to produce the first cell of
the new organism.
 Asexual reproduction, a single organism can reproduce without the aid of another.

PROBLEM SET 3 - GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Adults don’t always look like the babies of a species. All organisms begin their lives as
single cells. Over time, these organisms grow and take on the characteristics of their species.
Growth results in an increase in the amount of living material and the formation of new
structures.
All organisms grow, and different parts of organisms may grow at different rates. Organisms
made up of only one cell may change little during their lives, but they do grow. On the other
hand, organisms made up of numerous cells go through many changes during their lifetimes.
University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 4

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

Think about some of the structural changes your body has already undergone in your short life.
All of the changes that take place during the life of an organism are known as its development.

1. How do all organisms begin life?

Begin their life as single cells.

2. What is the difference between growth and development?

Growth results in an increase in the amount of living material and the formation of new
structures. While development is the act or process of natural progression in physical and
psychological maturation from embryonic state to a complex adult stage.

3. Do unicellular organisms GROW? Do unicellular organisms DEVELOP?

Yes and no

4. Do multicellular organisms GROW? Do multicellular organisms DEVELOP?

Both yes

5. How is the growth of a living thing different from the growth of a nonliving thing?
A living thing is one that exudes life, one that is able to breathe, grow, and reproduce.
Living things go through multiple stages in life, growing due to cell division and replication.
Nonliving things on the other hand, are inanimate objects and don’t have the capability to
breathe and reproduce. They do not grow the same way a living thing grows, instead the growth
occurs through a process called accretion.

PROBLEM SET 5 - OBTAIN AND USE ENERGY

Energy is the ability to make things change. Energy is important because it powers life
processes. It provides organisms with the ability to maintain balance, grow, reproduce, and
carry out other life functions. Some organisms obtain energy from the foods they eat or, in the
case of plants and several other types of organisms, the foods that they produce. Organisms

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 5

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

that get energy from the food they eat are called heterotrophs. Organisms that use energy from
the sun to make their own food (which they then use for energy) are called autotrophs. The
process is called photosynthesis.
As you’ll learn, energy doesn’t just flow through individual organisms; it also flows
through communities of organisms, or ecosystems, and determines how organisms interact with
each other and the environment.

1. Define energy.
Energy is the ability to make things change.

2. Why is energy important to a living organism?

Because it powers life processes. It provides organisms with the ability to maintain
balance, grow, reproduce, and carry out other life functions.

3. What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph?

Autotroph is an organisms that use energy from the sun to make their own food (which
they then use for energy). While heterotroph is an organisms that get energy from the food they
eat.

4. What is the name of the process that plants use to make their own food using energy
from the sun?
Photosynthesis

PROBLEM SET 6 - RESPOND TO THE ENVIRONMENT / MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 6

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

Living things live in a constant connection with the environment, which includes the air,
water, weather, temperature, any organisms in the area, and many other factors. These external
environmental factors act as stimuli and can cause a response from living things. Organisms
need to respond to the changes in order to stay alive and healthy. For example, if you go
outside on a bright summer day, the sun may cause you to squint. Perhaps the bark of an
approaching dog
causes you to turn your head quickly. Just as you are constantly sensing and responding to
changes in your environment, so are all other organisms. For example, a specialized leaf of the
Venus’ flytrap senses the light footsteps of a soon-to-be-digested green bottle fly. The plant
responded to this environmental stimulus by rapidly folding the leaf together.
An organism must respond to changes in the internal environment as well. Internal
conditions include the level of water, nutrients, and minerals inside the body. It also refers to
body temperature and hormone levels. Adjustments to internal changes help organisms
maintain a stable internal environment. The regulation of an organism’s internal environment to
maintain conditions suitable for life is called homeostasis. Or you can just think of it as keeping
everything in balance.
For example, you have a “thermostat” in your brain that reacts whenever your body
temperature varies slightly from 37°C. If this internal thermostat detects a slight rise in your body
temperature on a hot day, your brain signals your skin to produce sweat.
Sweating helps cool your body.
The ability of mammals and birds to regulate body temperature is just one example of
homeostasis. Mechanisms of homeostasis enable organisms to regulate their internal
environment, despite changes in their external environment.

1. What are some environmental factors (stimuli) that organisms respond to?
The air, water, weather, temperature, any organisms in the area, and many other
factors.

2. Organisms must also respond to factors in order to stay healthy & survive. What are two
internal factors that organisms respond to?
Body temperature and hormone levels

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 7

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

3. Give two examples from the reading of how living things respond to changes in their
environment.
Sweating on a hot day and squinting at the sunlight.

4. If light is applied to a human eye, how does it respond?

The human eye become smaller.

5. Describe homeostasis
The regulation of an organism’s internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for
life.

References:

https://study.com/academy/answer/what-is-the-simplest-level-at-which-life-may-
exist.htm

https://askinglot.com/how-are-all-cells-alike

https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-biology-flexbook

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/unicellular-vs-multicellular/

https://brainly.com/question/239950

https://sciencing.com/nonliving-things-grow-8349728.html

https://thewonderofscience.com/ls1b-growth-and-development-of-organisms

https://www.javatpoint.com/growth-vs-development

https://www.javatpoint.com/growth-vs-development

https://rehabilitationrobotics.net/do-unicellular-organisms-develop-or-grow/

https://sciencing.com/nonliving-things-grow-8349728.html

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 8

 NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book
%3A_Introductory_Biology_(CK-12)/02%3A_Cell_Biology/
2.18%3A__Autotrophs_and_Heterotrophs

https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/pupil

https://www.livescience.com/65938-homeostasis.html

https://sciencing.com/six-main-cell-functions-6891800.html

https://www.ecityworks.com/do-all-cells-perform-various-jobs-or

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/extinction/#:~:text=Extinction%20is
%20the%20dying%20out,for%20new%20species%20to%20emerge.

https://www.studyguidezone.com/biology.htm#:~:text=All%20organisms%20begin
%20life%20as%20a%20single%20cell.&text=Some%20organisms%20begin%20life
%20as,and%20others%20as%20multi%2Dcellular.

https://askinglot.com/how-are-all-cells-alike

https://www.answers.com/Q/All_cells_perform_various_jobs_or

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/unicellular-vs-multicellular/

Biologydictionary.net Editors. (2014). Organ. Retrieved November 4, 2014, from

https://biologydictionary.net/unicellular/

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2019, November 13). Heterotroph. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/heterotroph

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2019, November 13). Autotroph. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/autotroph

Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019). Wikimedia Commons.

https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/pupil

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, May 27). homeostasis. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 9

NAME: Leah Venice M. Canson COURSE & YR.: BSPSYC 1
OFFER CODE: 6124 SCHEDULE: Friday 1:30pm-4:30pm

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Zoology Laboratory Exercise 10